Beit-adjusting means



H.'FORD.

BELT ADJUSUNG MEANS. APPLICATION `FILED APR. I5. 1918.

1,393,990, Patented oct 1s, 1921.

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UNITED. STATES HENRY FORD, 0F DETRGIT, MICHIGAN.

BELT-ADJUSTING MEANS Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented 9ct. 18, 1921.

Application filed April 152 1918; Serial No. 228,591.

To all whom it 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY FORD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of lliichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt Adjusting Means, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

his invention relates to belt tightening means wherein the fan or body driven by the belt is bodily adjusted to take up slack in the belt and insure proper driving relation betweenthe belt and the body driven thereby.

The belt tightening means is associated with a novel fan construction and arbor or shaft therefor, and includes eccentric means that may be easily and quickly adjusted witlsuadisaembling the fan or its bearing.

My invention"fwill='=be hereinafter more fully referred to and reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein-- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of the'fan construction and its adjustable bearing, and Fig'. 2 is a rear elevation of the saine.

In the drawing', the reference numeral 1 denotes a bracket or bearing having an opening 2 and at the ends of said opening are annular seats 3 for eccentric washers 4- and 5. These washers are concentric relative to the opening 2 but have eccentric alining openings 6 for the inner reduced end 7 of a fan shaft 8. The inner end 7 of the fan shaft is tired relative to the eccentric washers f1. and 5 by keys 9 or other fastening means and the inner end .of said shaft has a threaded portion for a nut l0 and a rectangular portion or shank 11 adapted to receive a wrench. The nut 10 abuts the eccentric washer 5 and the eccentric washer L1 abuts a stepped portion or annular shoulder 12 intermedlate the ends of the fan shaft. It is therefore possible to tighten the nut 10 so as to fix the eccentric washers 4 and 5 relative to the bracket 1 and to prevent the nut from becoming; accidentally loose or displaced, a cotter in 13 may be placed in engagement with t e nut 10.

The fan shaft 8 has additionally stepped or reduced portions affording annular shoulders for anti-frictional bearings 14 of a conventional form and these bear'ings support a pulley or wheel 15 to the outer face of which is connected, by screw bolts 16 or other fastenbers thereof.

ing means a central portion or hollow hub 17 of e fan 18. The hollow hub 17 provides clearance for the outer end of the ian shalt S and the bearing 14: thereon, and a belt or other flexible member 19 is trained over a pulley or wheel 15 for imparting,r movement thereto. The belt or pulley 19 is preferably of that type having peripheral lianges 20 adaoted to prevent the belt or flexible member 19 from becoming accidentally displaced and the inner end or :tace ci' the pulley or wheel 15 :is closed by a portion 21 extending betweenrthe inner bearing 14 and the eccentric washer 11, this portion of the pulls excluding dust and dirt and ccpei the hollow hub 17 of the fan 18 in y: an inclosure in which a suitable lubricant may be placed to insure easy runn outer race members of the anti-1" bearings relatively to the inner As shown in the drawings, the fan sha 8 is between tivo eXtreme positions ci justment, one representing maximum ti, ness and the other minimum locseness or l, belt 19 of the pulleyJ 15, and to adjust tnt inner end of the far. shaft 8 the Cotter pin 13 is removed from the nut; i rut loosened and a wrench placed on the shank or square end 11 of the shaft and turned until the belt is suiliciently tight. The turning; of the fan necessarily shifts the eccentric washers and 5 on the seats 3 of the bracket 1 and the belt is suiliciently taut, the still held by the .wrench and another wrench employed to tighten the nut l0, thereby a:- ing the washers 4 and 5 relative to the bracket 1. The cotter pinl can then be replaced.

Thefconstruction above referred to has been especially designed for the fan and belt 0i a well known type of tractor or automobiler the fan being associated with a radiator as a cooling or air circulatingr medium, and the belt driven from the' engine shaft of the tractor or automobile. The invention however, isfnot necessarily limited to this specific use, and while in the drawing there is illustrated one embodiment of my invention which I have found practicable and placed in use, yet it is to be understood that I may change the structural elements without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is z-i 1. The combination with a bracket, a

r'fan shaft is stepped fan shaft extending therethrough, ers set-in said bracket with one of said wash 15 ulley rotatable on the shaft and provided ers between a stepped port-ion of said shaft with a fan and a belt for imparting moveand the bracket and adapted' for adjusting ment thereto, of tightening. means comprissaid shaft relative thereto, and means adapting eccentric washers set in said bracket with ed tov move said shaft and said eccentric one of said washers between a stepped por- Washers so that said washers are bound 20 tion of said shaft and the bracket and against said bracket. adapted Jfor adjusting said fan shaft relative In testimony whereot` l aiix mysignature thereto, and means adapted lto move said in the presence of two witnesses. shaft and said eccentric washers so that said HENRY FORD washers are bound against said bracket.

2. The combination with a bracket and a Witnesses: stepped sha-ft extending therethrough, of ROBERT E. WALTER, tightening means comprising eccentric wash- E. G. SmoLD. 

